Change Your Mood? Try Giving and Being Kind

Looking to change your mood? You can by being kind and giving to others. Don’t laugh. It works.

You’re in a bad mood and the last thing you want is to think of someone else’s problems. We have a habit of focusing on our bad mood which tends to make it worse!

But that only lasts so long, doesn’t it?  Eventually, you want to feel better but you don’t know how to.  Your situation hasn’t changed so how can you feel better?

 What Caused Your Bad Mood in the First Place?

Some important thinkers in the world have said that three things cause and control your moods — biology (hormones and brain chemicals), psychology (personality and learned responses), and environment (illness and emotional stress). But that really doesn’t help you when you’re feeling miserable.  What you really want is to get rid of that awful feeling. You don’t care where it came from.  These big thinkers also give you tips to get back on track, like increase your physical exercise, clean your desk, look at some old photos, listen to your favourite happy song. These are great things to help your mood.  But they still all concentrate on you.

A 180-Degree Turn-Around To Change Your Mood

Here’s a tip that’s a little different.  If you want to get from a bad mood to a better mood try this. Instead of thinking about yourself, and your bad mood, turn around and see the person behind you. What could you do for them?  What kind act or small give could you do for someone else that will elevate your mood from bad to good? The things that control moods, they control good moods as well as bad. Doing something nice to another person does change your mood, and the science of giving backs this up! It’s worth a try and you might be surprised.

So here is the science on giving and how it helps to create a good mood, erasing that bad mood.  Serotonin, endorphins. You’ve heard of these good things.  Well, doing nice things for others boosts your serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of satisfaction and well-being. And according to experts, kindness can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone.  And stress always adds to a bad mood.

Offering to help someone else when you feel bad may need a push. It’s hard to just go out and be pleasant and take someone for coffee. Start slowly. Maybe you don’t want to talk to anyone, so start by bringing  a coffee to someone in the office who can’t get out. That appreciative smile might just start a little lift inside you.

Move on to holding the elevator door and saying good morning to the new employee who doesn’t know anyone. ‘Good morning’ takes two seconds and it’s just enough time to show someone else a little kindness.

Here’s some further ideas to make someone else and you feel better.  Give an unexpected hug to your partner; a flower for your assistant – these things take very little time and effort and will change your mood. And if the person you are giving to happens to also be in a bad mood, your give is going to help them change that…your give is going to help them change their mood from bad to good as well.

Or will they? A couple of these things just might start to fire up the endorphins and make you smile. When that happens, who knows what the outcome will be. You might find yourself laughing with your little sister, sharing a smile with your partner or accepting a coffee graciously from your assistant.

With each little kindness and the return appreciation, you will find your mood changing, bit by bit. The more you give, the longer that good mood will stay. And if that bad mood pops its ugly head back into your life, you now have a new tool in your tool box to get rid of it. Complete a small act of giving and change your mood! You can also give to the planet and animals to change that mood of yours as well. Check out our planet give ideas and animal give ideas to get you started.

Another big thinker said once:

People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer.

 Now that’s a mood changer!

Want more science about how kindness can change your mood.  Check out the science on happiness and see how it works for you. You’ll find all kinds of research on what happens to our brains and our bodes when we do a 180 degree turn-around to look at the person behind us and give with acts of kindness.